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Chapter 22 - Disappearance

Leonard raised his hands in surrender to Rozanne and Bredt.

— Okay, I'll tell you what happened yesterday, but I didn't see everything so the next part would be hard to speculate... It's just that that woman seemed strange. Her name was Olive, I think. It turns out that she came to the Church at night looking terrified. She said that her mother had died in a terrible accident and that, like her brother, she hoped that her soul would go to the arms of the Goddess.

— Soon after, another woman, Diot Chekky, arrived with a somber expression and sat in the prayer room, but by coincidence, she found Olive and for some unknown reason they started arguing. And after that, it seems an elderly man, Ulriah, appeared there and butted into the conversation and ended up fainting in the middle of the discussion... Klein, you're a Seer, right?

Klein turned to Leonard who had bright eyes and next to him Rozanne had the same hopeful look covering her entire face while Bredt Bredtkept a thoughtful look.

Klein practically read the thoughts of the three at the same moment.

— No, that's not how it works. I'm not going to make divination about gossip. — he refused without leaving room for comment.

— It wouldn't exactly be gossip. Ulriah died on the spot before any specialist could even try to help. — Leonard replied with confidence in his voice.

Klein shook his head.

— The case didn't fall to us, so I won't violate anyone's privacy. Besides, how can you be sure he didn't die of a heart attack due to old age?

With a smile on his face, Leonard ignored all her refusals, seeming as if he hadn't even heard them.

— I don't have it. But it could be useful. Can't you also predict other things like the rain just now?

— Exactly, you're a Seer so you might be able to find out about that. — Rozanne insisted. Her face seemed to be full of an enthusiastic smile.

— Yes, yes. I can even pay you a few solis. I just need the outcome of this story. — Bredt seemed ready to take whatever amount was needed out of his pocket.

They think I'm some kind of Google? — Klein scoffed internally.

— That was because the sky was cloudy and so dark that you couldn't even see the sun. — He pointed outside before sighing in his heart.

Suddenly, the front door of the security company opened, distracting their attention.

Standing at the entrance was a thin, gray-haired man in a top hat and a suit that was half-soaked in water. His eyes seemed a little unfocused.

Before anyone could say anything else, the man said:

— You guys are mercenaries... Uh, from this security company? You're the only hope now. I've been to every security company and private detective, but none of them could help right now because of that dangerous criminal everyone is terrified of. The richest ones have hired all the security guards they could.

A common chain reaction... — Klein thought as he looked at Rozanne disparagingly. This showed how poorly managed the security company was.

— Okay. We still have manpower available. You just need to sign this paper here. — Rozanne didn't take long to get some well-written documents and hand them to the man.

After he signed them, Leonard turned to Klein and

— I need your help.

— Ah? — Klein was surprised by the request.

— Even though I'm in good physical condition, I can't track people. — he explained in a simple way so that Klee wouldn't notice anything unusual.

— What do you need?

When Klein told them everything he needed, they ended up hastily making up an excuse so that the butler wouldn't think they were a bunch of charlatans.

They sat down and listened to some important details for them. Klee was a butler to Mr. Vickroy, a tobacco merchant. Apparently his only young son was kidnapped.

After all the conversation, they rode by carriage to Mr. Vickroy's residence, where they did not say a single word until Klee left.

If Leonard asks questions again, I think I'll start considering throwing him out of the carriage. — Klein scoffed internally as he looked at the carriage window gradually becoming more cloudy with the freezing rain falling from the sky.

Leonard felt confident to continue his conversation with Klein and said:

— Did you know that Miss Daly likes the captain? However, he is very shy and ends up getting embarrassed easily, while she has a completely opposite personality. I even offered to write a poem for them.

Klein had already noticed that Daly had a rather humorous personality before, having even been embarrassed by some of the things she had said before, but he never imagined that she liked the captain.

— I hope she invites the captain to go to the theater or dinner someday. — Klein knew that she would probably be the one to take the initiative and ask Dunn out somewhere.

— Actually, Rozanne, Neil, and Bredt made a bet about where Miss Daly would ask him. Old Neil said it might be a theater, Rozanne said it should be a restaurant, and Bredt was torn between three options, but in the end he chose a romantic walk, — Leonard explained. However, Klein doubted that he hadn't made a bet.

They stopped talking as soon as they saw Klee returning with a bag of clothes and another object in her hands.

As soon as they picked up those objects, Leonard gave two notes to the conductor and said simply:

— Charge by the hour.

— But where are you going? — the man asked confusedly, but he quickly remembered the notes in his pocket and didn't ask any further questions.

— Wait a minute. — Leonard looked at Klein.

Spreading Elliot's clothes on the floor, Klein picked up his cane and wrapped the Storm Amulet around it. He would use the "Radiesthesic Searching Rod" divination method.

Entering a lighter state, Klein saw bright lights in his mind as he felt lighter. His sometimes yellowish brown eyes became deep, as if they had no light at all.

Now, he could see the shadow superimposed on Leonard much better. He looked like an old man, but he could still only see his form outlined in shadow.

Incoherent thoughts appeared in his mind and sometimes he even felt eyes watching him from a place beyond. In himself, he felt a lightness and an endless emptiness extending through every part of his body. Perhaps there was something wrong with him.

— Where is Elliot. — his voice sounded ethereal without leaving his throat.

After repeating it a few times, he let go of the silver-encrusted cane.

The cane didn't fall to the ground, but instead stood upright.

On the way, he continued giving instructions on where they should go until they circled a building where Klein was sure Elliot was.

— Here. — he indicated in an ethereal voice, almost seeming to sound like he was in another world.

They got out of the carriage calmly, despite everything Klein's instincts were very useful in case they were being watched.

— One, two, three... And four. — Klein concluded with the shapes he saw walking. — Three kidnappers and a hostage. From Klee's description, this must be the room where Elliot is being held, and the divination indicates this place.

— There are times when I envy Old Neil for his skills, I envy you the same way. — Leonard smiled with a sigh.

He took a step forward and laughed.

— I think I should recite a poem for them.

— Why so much violence anyway?

Leonard's voice echoed throughout the room, seeming full of serenity. His face looked melancholic, but completely calm.

— Oh, the threat of horror, the hope of crimson tears!

— At least one thing is certain, that this Life flies;

— One thing is certain, and the rest are lies;

— The flower that once bloomed, always dies…

The sound of a few thuds came from the house after a few seconds, almost in sync.

Looking at Klein who had a thoughtful expression on his face, Leonard didn't seem surprised that he still seemed fully conscious.

When Leonard seemed ready to say something else, Klein felt a chill cover his body and turned around abruptly with his copper gun in hand.

He was pointing at the man coming up the stairs who was holding a bag in his hands. His blue eyes reflected the glint of the gun that was aimed at his forehead.

— Sir, this must be some kind of misunderstanding, I was just returning to my apartment. — The man spoke with a forced smile on his face.

This... — Klein didn't know if it was true or an excuse, so he began to think quickly.

Leonard leaned against the doorframe and said simply,

— Yeah, there really was someone to bring food to the kidnappers.

The man's expression twisted, and with a quick movement he threw the bag to block their view and tried to run up the stairs.

Bang!

The silver bullet hit his leg, and at the same moment the man could only fall to the ground screaming in pain.

— Good shot.— Leonard said before they turned to enter the room where Elliot was wide awake due to the sound of the shot.

— Y-you... Who are you? — the boy asked, looking relieved with their appearance, but still cautious.

He quickly went back to cowering in the corner.

Leonard grabbed a rope that was above a table and began to tie the kidnappers one by one.

Young Elliot began to look dizzy as his consciousness slowly disappeared, at some point he closed his eyes as if he was falling into a deep sleep.

When Leonard finished tying everyone, he stood up.

— Get a carriage for us while I call Klee. — Leonard said nonchalantly, but received no response.

— Klein? — Leonard turned around when he noticed Klein standing still, and took a few steps to check the chaotic situation he found himself in.

On his face, there was nothing but a blank and indiscernible expression. His eyes were no longer focused on anything.

...

Inside an apartment with an open window, there seemed to be nothing abnormal.

— Hahahaha!

The insane laughter echoed throughout the place.

Somewhere in the room, there was a man huddled in a corner with a contorted expression.

Suddenly, that vision dissolved into gray mist with another chaotic one replacing it almost at the same time.

The sky and the earth seemed distorted in that colossal Gothic cathedral supported by pillars carved from dark stone. Above the ceiling were candles hanging upside down exuding an ancient air.

The shadows seemed serene and ethereal, but at the same time mysterious, as if no one could even think about what was there.

Night predominated in the skies with a giant crimson moon seeming to cover everything that existed in the world.

Beside an altar was a distorted statue of an eight-legged black wolf with a human face!

Eight? — Klein frowned slightly as he cast his gaze around, ignoring Leonard's voice in his second vision.

Gracefully engraved on the wall in front of him was a huge symbol of a pupilless eye with partially distorted intertwined lines. There was also another symbol hidden by darkness and in front of it was the sacred altar made to perfection.

It was the symbol behind The Fool's chair!

In that part were drawn murals of mountains covered in pure white snow. On the main peak of that mountain range, there was a huge palace where several beings walked.

In one of them, there were four beings next to a mountain. One of them exuded a serene air in his dark cloak.

The other seemed to look above the cosmos with his eyes in different tones from each other, it seemed somewhat bizarre and inexplicable.

Beside him was a shining figure with blond hair. His face looked like it was dissolving or something like that.

And the fourth, it had eight legs. In part of the human legs covered by his cloak were four of them and the rest remained on his back.

On another of the blurred murals, a man in dark armor could be seen. All around him was war and silver thunder covering a desolate plain.

There were others, but they were indiscernible.

Above the altar was a tarot card.

It depicted the image of a deity covered in a sacred and dazzling robe. His indiscernible gaze shone with a deep and garish tone. Beside him was a dog smiling imperceptibly.

Below it was a line written in Ancient Jottun:

"The Fool."

The Fool... — Klein felt a horror spreading through his body.

When he looked again, he felt his body freeze.

The Fool blinked with the corners of his mouth curled up, disappearing from the card.

Everything was enveloped by a gray mist.

...

— Klein! Get out of it!

Klein suddenly came back to reality when he felt Leonard shaking him once again like a rag doll, he stared at him with empty eyes.

— What was that? Are you okay, Klein? — Leonard shook him once more before realizing that Klein was finally focusing his gaze on him with confusion.

Klein looked at him still without much attention, making Leonard take three steps back cautiously, and then explained containing his horror:

— The Antigonus family notebook. I felt it... It's close.

— It's not just him that I saw... Uh... There seems to be a young man alive with the notebook, not exactly very stable. I don't even know if he's human now.

Leonard raised his eyebrows, giving him an almost shocked look.

— Is the notebook here? —the poet finally recovered.

The Antigonus notebook is in the apartment across from the kidnappers!

Although it was a coincidence, Klein believed that his intuition was correct.

— He's in the apartment across from this one… Right now, the man is looking at us… He's showing signs of losing control.

Leonard nodded slightly. Deep in thought, he said:

— We don't know what Sequence he's in or what period level he represents… Probably the Pathway of the Seer? We should go straight to the captain and let him know. We have to finish here first.

They told Klee to call the police and didn't stay at the scene, instead taking the nearest carriage.

The crimson moon was already above the sky.

They took one last look at the building, and in the window was a figure.

She was a woman with grayish blue eyes with a serene glow. Her bloodstained hair was long and a shade of black.

Her face, full of grotesque knobs of flesh, contorted, revealed a calm expression, almost an unattainable serenity.

Leonard froze in his seat, instinctively pulling out his gun.

That... — Klein remembered the woman who had followed him on the day of his transmigration, that was right before he met the strange boy with the tarot cards who had drawn the Fool card.

It was her!

In his confusion, Leonard didn't hesitate to throw a few solis to the driver.

His voice still had a forced calm:

— Go as fast as you can to the Cathedral of Saint Selene.

The woman's head began to melt as swollen veins appeared on her glabella. In a few seconds, a second face appeared inside her own.

Her head cracked, revealing her skull that was contorting slightly with blood flowing like a waterfall everywhere.

The head detached from the seemingly severed neck, falling to the ground with a thud.

Bang!

The red liquid covered the entire window.Chapter 23 - Behind the door

Under the rain that blurred any view of the outside with several blurred buildings passing by, Klein and Leonard looked at each other for a few seconds without saying a single word.

Leonard broke the silence in a deep tone:

— That woman was Olive...

Olive... The same Olive he mentioned in the morning? The same one who was following me that day? Isn't that too much of a coincidence? Coincidence... — several thoughts arose amidst the horror that Klein felt.

— A few days ago, she was following me when the circus was in town. It was the same day that you and the Captain knocked on my door to interrogate me. I managed to lose her back then... — he said, trying to reorganize his mind.

Leonard leaned back in his seat without taking his green eyes off the fogged window.

He feared that perhaps someone could be following them.

— Did she have the notebook? I mean, if she followed you, she may have managed to get a gap to take the notebook without raising suspicion, for example, at some point when you and your brothers were not at home. — he gave his guess with a thoughtful expression on his face.

But if she took the notebook, who was the man who was losing control? And more importantly, did she lose control and shoot herself or did someone shoot her? — Klein wondered internally.

— That could be it... Olive was already in a somewhat crazy state when I saw her. — he didn't feel like sharing any more information until they reached the cathedral, his thoughts remained in the strange place of Hornacis peak until they finally arrived at the Church.

They didn't delay a second longer and entered the Church, going straight to the underground where they found Old Neil calmly drinking tea.

— What happened? You guys seem in a hurry... Did you find any Beyonders among the kidnappers? — he asked in a worried tone.

— Where's the captain? — Klein asked urgently.

— In his office, signing some paperwork. — Old Neil answered simply.

He just nodded before they hurriedly went to the room two corridors away.

Leonard didn't even knock on the door, he opened it with force.

Dunn Smith, who was reading some documents, stopped to look at them with his cloudy gaze, he seemed somewhat surprised and serious.

— Did something happen in Elliot's case?

Klein sighed silently and said:

— The Antigonus family's notebook. It's in the apartment next to the kidnappers'.

With a serious expression on his face, Leonard narrowed his eyes, seeming to remember the things that had happened not long ago.

— Also, Olive from the case where the merchant Ulriah died, she died in front of us in the same apartment where the notebook is.

With a questioning look, Dunn Smith seemed thoughtful.

— Explain. — he said calmly.

— When we were about to leave, I sensed the notebook in the apartment next door along with a Beyonder on the verge of losing control, so we were almost leaving that street when we looked back at the window and saw Olive's head crack… She had a second face growing… In the end, there was a gunshot and the window was stained with blood. — Klein recounted in detail, leaving out only the part about the view of the Gothic cathedral of Hornacis.

There was no need for anyone to know about this anyway, it would only raise more suspicions about whether Klein was really sane.

— From what Klein said, Olive was following him the day we first questioned him. She was already on the verge of losing control. — Leonard added confidently. — If she was a Beyonder before, then she must have been the one who stole the notebook or was involved in it.

Dunn didn't ask for any more details, just told them to get Royalle to replace Old Neil on his shift and to bring Corpse Collector Frye with them.

...

As soon as they reached the street, Klein pointed to the apartment across from the kidnappers'.

— It's that one over there. — he said thoughtfully.

For some reason, there wasn't even a trace of blood. The window was perfectly fogged up by the rain as if nothing had happened.

When they got closer, Klein saw the door and activated his spiritual vision.

There was some kind of seal there.

— What a coincidence, it almost feels like we're going around in circles. — Leonard joked, however his face no longer had that frivolous demeanor it had before.

If it weren't for what Leonard said about the kidnappers not being occultists or anything like that, I would think there might be someone setting this up... But I still feel like something's wrong... — Klein thought internally. The doubt still remained in his heart as well as a chill.

Leonard stepped forward and punched the doorknob, breaking it in his hands as he had done before.

Klein felt the seal disappear.

At the same moment, a rotten smell invaded everyone's nostrils, it was enough to turn their stomachs.

Dunn didn't seem affected, he stepped forward and cautiously opened the door, with a gun in his hands.

They saw a half-extinguished fireplace and right in front of it, in a wooden rocking chair, was an old woman with green skin and so swollen that she could probably explode.

Her face was covered in protruding maggots and larvae that writhed back into her grotesquely torn face with dried blood.

Suddenly, his index finger fell to the already rotten floor as well as his eyes that rolled across the floor.

Seeing this, Klein felt strange for not having vomited yet or at least expressed anything other than something as mild as just feeling discomfort.

He remembered the corpse of that Sequence 5 who lost control and all the meaningless dreams, they were worse than this vision.

Maybe it's because of everything that happened before... — he thought simply, not paying much attention to it. There were more important things after all.

Old Neil gave a surprised look.

— You really have a very strong mind not to have vomited, the first time I didn't even manage to complete the mission. — he spoke sympathetically.

With his cold gaze, Frye assessed the woman carefully without touching the corpse.

— She's in an advanced state of decomposition, dead for at least a week. To have reached this state, it's possible that she died supernaturally since there are no cuts or gunshot marks.

Looking around, Leonard picked up a bloodstained pocket watch that was on a table in the corner.

— Olive's body isn't here. There's only blood. — he spoke thoughtfully.

— Leonard, call the police. — Dunn gave a gentle look — Klein, could you divine on this?

Klein nodded, taking out a paper he carried with him as well as a quill. He wrote the divination he wanted:

"Olive's Death."

His consciousness sank into a sea of dreams.

In front of the table was a man paralyzed like a statue, tears rolling madly down his face covered by a hood with only his mouth illuminated by the crimson moon above the heavens.

In front of him, brutally thrown on the ground, was a woman with short, disheveled black hair that covered her expression of abnormal happiness, an exaggerated smile remained frozen on her bloody face.

There were no nails on any of her nine blood-covered fingers, one grotesquely torn off and placed next to her body.

Her blue-gray eyes seemed to have a hint of joy, with blood still flowing like a waterfall as well as in her mouth and ears.

Her blue dress that reached her ankles was completely stained with a red and viscous liquid.

— Haaahahahahahahahha!

— Hahahhaha!

— HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHA!

The man suddenly laughed.

The corners of his mouth slightly curved, showing a hint of madness.

— Don't forgive me or blame me, sister, after all, this was my choice and yours.

— I-I… I'm sorry…

— No…

On top of the woman's body was a yellowed piece of paper with grotesque black letters and a phrase in Ancient Hermes:

"Peek into the past, only to find that you cannot escape it."

The dream shattered into several different pieces.

What was that? — Klein wondered in a daze. His thoughts were inexplicably a little confused for a moment.

— Did you see something? — Dunn asked seriously.

— Olive is really dead, she lost control… — Klein continued explaining the details of his vision.

— It seems there was nothing much besides that and the corpse. There was only a seal on the door that was forcibly removed. — Old Neil said somewhat skeptically.

When Leonard returned, he was accompanied by another brown-haired police officer.

The police officer sighed as he saw the scene inside the apartment. His voice sounded somewhat serious and confused:

— Katy Stefania Bieber has lived here for ten years. Two children, Ray Bieber who ran a good business and Olive Bieber. She worked in a library at Khoy University and in a fortune-telling club and earned a few pounds a week.

She worked at Khoy University... — Klein repeated these words in his mind. A cold shiver ran up his spine.

That was too much of a coincidence!

After some time, Old Neil drew the suspect's face using a ritual. They returned to Saint Selena Cathedral with the crimson moonlight under the sky.

...

Old Neil smiled.

— After this, The Secret Order will no longer try to look for you. Their focus will be on the whereabouts of Ray Bieber and Olive Bieber's corpse. Well, there's no need to worry about the notebook's disappearance either, since you weren't the one who sent it to Ray Bieber's house.

— Who could have done this? — Klein asked, taking two tarot cards from the pile in front of him.

— Who would have known? Maybe Ray and Olive Bieber are descendants of the Antigonus family or it could be because of his Life Path Number. — Old Neil laughed.

— The Secret Order may still have doubts about the death of that member of the Secret Order, but he was probably low Sequence, so there's no need to worry. Even if he was in Sequence 7, His Excellency Crestet Cesimir was present that day, so they'll attribute that member's death to him.

— The Order of Mysteries doesn't seem to want to show up either, maybe they're just silent spectators for now. They haven't shown any interest in participating in this fight, or maybe they're waiting for the best opportunity.

— Congratulations, now you can move on with your life outside the shadows of the past, you can move on with your life in the light.

That's good, but I feel like there's something wrong… Something wrong with everything… — Klein thought silently in his heart.

— I hope that's true. — he said. Even so, he didn't have any confidence in his words.

Turning his gaze, he saw the cards he had drawn.

On it was an image of a goddess pouring holy water, with stars scattered across the background. However, the card was turned upside down.

"The Star."

In the second one, there was a man hanging by his left leg, from a gallows. His arms were crossed behind him.

"The Hanged Man."

Hearing his answer, the first thing Old Neil did was scoff.

— A devout believer would make the symbol of crimson light on his chest and say 'Praise be to the Lady.'

Klein put the cards back in the deck and retorted:

— And no devout believer of the Goddess would ever say to follow my path in the light.

They both laughed, making a symbol of the crimson moon on their chests.Chapter 24 - Hunt

On Howes Street, Klein entered the Divination Club.

— Good morning, Mr. Moretti. — Angelica greeted him politely.

She explained a few things before saying:

— Mr. Hanass Vincent is explaining about astrolabe in the meeting room. If you want to listen, you can go there.

After some conversation, Klein headed to the room where there were five tables with four men and three women around a middle-aged man, Hanass Vincent.

He had obvious dark circles on his face. His hair was thick and each strand was as firm as a porcupine's.

Hanas Vincent gave a calm look to everyone gathered in the room.

— There's also mirror divination.

Uh… That's dangerous… — Klein focused on his next words.

With a smile, Hanass explained everything from beginning to end.

Luckily, it wasn't anything serious. He had merely described the conventional method of mirror divination that would result in a prayer to one of the Seven Orthodox Gods.

As soon as he activated his spiritual vision, Klein eventually realized that he could see Hanass Vincent's astral body!

There was a distorted, dark glow that almost replaced any other vision of the dark red color. It was calm, yet as inexplicable as endless darkness.

His astral body is completely deranged… This is worse than any madman I have ever seen normally. And that glint of worry… What a bizarre fellow, I seriously doubt that he is not some lunatic. — Klein silently evaluated in his heart. His eyes narrowed indiscernibly.

...

Port Enmat, in a bar.

With a smile on his face, Medici did not hesitate to look directly at the blond-haired man in front of him.

The blood-red-haired man did not take long to pick up the two papers that were on the table. One of them was filled with verses of poetry and the other was filled with symbols and complicated notes of information.

— Damn! Medici! What are you doing here? — Danitz asked irritably, his expression almost looking dazed.

What is this madman doing here?! Shit! Why do I have to find him when it's my turn to leave?! So that's why the captain gave me these papers… Couldn't it have been for Steel Skin or anyone else? Besides, shouldn't this guy be somewhere else in the world? — Danitz felt like he was perhaps a bit unlucky.

— Let me see… Guess. — Medici smiled as he looked at Danitz calmly.

Guess?! — Danitz cursed in his mind angrily.

— You… Anyway, why were you in such a hurry to get this information? You have an affair with someone from the Red Theater… — he was quickly interrupted by Medici who had mockery in his voice:

— Tell me, didn't you say you were going to declare your love to Edwina Edwards with a poem? Maybe I should send it to her through my messenger and help you out, okay? Have you signed your name on the paper yet? Hehe, I'll tell her you asked me to send it.

Danitz's face paled.

— If you have nothing else to say, goodbye. — Medici didn't wait another second before standing up. He left without looking back, leaving a frozen white Danitz with the drink in his trembling hands.

As he walked thoughtfully, he saw a familiar figure pass by him.

Not far away was a young woman with long brown hair tied in a ponytail. Her dark eyes had a cloudy layer, completely impassive.

She discreetly handed him some documents as if she were just walking and disappeared into the crowd without a trace.

Medici pulled the paper from his inside pocket, reading it quickly.

— This brings me to Backlund again... — he muttered, narrowing his eyes.

The paper suddenly burst into flames, not even leaving its ashes.

...

Sea Sonia.

With the waves crashing into the sea, Alger sighed internally. His thoughts were hidden by his impassive expression.

Monday is coming... — he narrowed his eyes indiscernibly.

A young sailor approached, even though he tried to hide his curiosity, he couldn't completely.

— Captain, where will our destination be?

Alger turned and in a deep tone said:

— Hunt the Listener of the Aurora Order.

...

North Borough, in a relatively large mansion.

Solveig turned the doorknob calmly, entering without any apparent expression on her face.

The first thing she saw was her brother with his head resting on one hand while holding a quill with the other, writing something on the papers above the table.

His white hair, a little longer than hers, was loose and tied in a few small braids.

His blue eyes, so clear they resembled a frozen lake, were looking at her.

— You arrived early. Father is already asleep, as are the younger ones. How was the search?

— Horrible, we didn't find anything. We kept going around in circles like last time. We just collected statements and came back with nothing. Besides, there was normal movement in the more stable areas of the West Borough. It seems like those people just disappeared suddenly… — Solveig narrowed her eyes. — Maybe they're just normal disappearances…

Dain smiled, looking relieved.

— You really have grown up. Still, be careful of anything out there.

Solveig nodded slightly.

— And did everything go well at the meeting?

He stopped writing. His expression gradually became strange.

— If I told you that a stone could grow wings and fly away, would you believe me? — Dain asked seriously.

— What? — Solveig frowned slightly, remembering everything she had seen — Yes? The world is strange...

Have you finally gone mad? Well, he never really had any idea... What does he mean by that? — She looked away, stunned.

Dain chuckled at her confused expression before composing himself. With a thoughtful look, he leaned back in his chair.

— Well, it's no secret to you that there are many things without explanation, like the ancient stories. If you ever find anything related to the beginning of the Fourth Epoch. Please don't think too much about the name of anything if you find something.

— It's just that things were strange. You'll understand as time goes on. After the defeat at Balam, it seems only a matter of time before a revolt breaks out in one of the colonies. The Church of Storms is getting more agitated than usual...

Listening to Dain continue speaking, Solveig had several thoughts.

The Fool... The next meeting will be some time in the future... Could this be the change of times He mentioned?

...

Silver City.

Derrick's eyes widened as he turned to the next page of the book he was reading.

He was trying to get more stories to give to the Fool, but since he didn't read much he had to spend a long time in the library.

After his first meeting at the Tarot Club, it was clear that there was a different world outside of the Silver City.

There is a sun, a moon, and even stars...

There is light and the sea...

We thought the Lord had blessed us... Has He abandoned us forever...?

Derrick almost froze in his thoughts.

The Fool is a deity... He has a mysterious and unfathomable presence... Does He know what happened to The Creator? The inhabitants of that Moon City worshipped Him, so perhaps... No, I shouldn't bother Him with that kind of question. — Derrick tried to stop thinking about such things.

He turned his focus to the yellowed pages of the book in his hands.

"Under the stormy skies, an endless light fell into thousands of pieces...

...

— By the way, look at this here. This is a newly appointed archbishop, Ince Zangwil. He stole a Sealed Artifact from St. Samuel's Cathedral, 0-08 some time ago. Memorize his face. If you ever meet him, just ignore him and come to me immediately, otherwise your chances of living will be below zero. — Dunn handed him the photo, looking somewhat thoughtful.

It was the image of a man in a beret and clerical robe with dark blond hair. His eyes were so blue they looked more like black, but he was blind in one eye. His nose was upturned and his face was unwrinkled.

Below was some information about him.

He stole a Sealed Artifact at rank 0... But what is 0-08? — Klein felt a little confused, and at the same time, apprehensive.

— 0-08... — he muttered, frowning slightly.

— 0-08 is like a feather, but it doesn't write. That's all you need to know. — Dunn Smith explained without giving any details.

This is almost close to the total number of Sealed Artifacts... How terrifying does this feather have to be to be at this rank? — Klein pondered internally, however Old Neil soon entered the room carrying a wooden box, drawing his attention.

— What kind of ritual are you going to perform? — Klein asked as he watched him.

— I'm going to settle my 30-pound debt. — Old Neil answered as if it was obvious.

Klein looked at the box in Neil's hands and immediately doubted that anything good would happen.

Is that possible — He narrowed his eyes indiscernibly, his mouth agape.

Is he trying to curse his creditor to death? Could he be trying to create fake notes? — Klein looked at Old Neil strangely, seriously considering calling the captain.

— I can feel the reproach and ignorance in your eyes, you're judging me like Dunn does. — Old Neil retorted irritably, taking out a few vials from the box.

— As a Mystery Pryer, I feel totally offended! Especially when this suspicion comes from a Seer! Haven't you heard the Mystery Pryers' maxim? Do as you wish, but do no harm. —

— Sorry. — Klein didn't hesitate to apologize.

Hey, the captain doubted me too. — he added mentally.

— It's a shame there aren't many known Seers. Maybe the secret organizations have some maxim among them since Seers aren't easy to deal with. — Old Neil laughed.

Later, they went to a hidden shop to buy some things.

Looking at a piano that was displayed in a shop, Old Neil sighed deeply:

— My late wife, Celeste, loved to play the piano.

Did Old Neil have a wife? — Klein thought in surprise. Since he had never heard of her, he thought that perhaps he had never married.

Suddenly, Old Neil turned his head to look at the floor without looking at all surprised. He picked up the object that was on the floor.

When Klein looked, he saw a brown wallet.

This... — he remembered the ritual Neil had performed some time ago.

There was so much money in it that Klein didn't even know if he could count it.

It shouldn't belong to an ordinary person... Wait... 300 pounds... Now that's a filthy rich guy... — Klein's eyes almost widened.

At that moment, a middle-aged man in a suit arrived next to them. He was coming from a carriage that was parked not too far away.

— I think this might be my Master's wallet. — the man said politely.

After checking the money, they confirmed that it was indeed the man's and Old Neil handed him the wallet.

— My master is Mr. Deweyville. He wishes to thank you for your honesty. Please do not refuse. — The middle-aged man took out three ten-pound notes and handed them to Old Neil.

Sir Deweyville? The Sir Deweyville who provided cheap rental apartments for the working class? — Klein remembered how much Benson respected this man. Even so, he didn't think this tycoon was really grounded.

When the butler had already left to carry them and there was no one else around, Old Neil laughed, waving the notes happily.

— See, this is the power of rituals. Debt paid off, now we can go back.

This really works... — Klein felt dazed.

...

On a huge unknown ship, the sound of the calm sea was almost imperceptible.

There were a few people gathered, and a young blond man looked at the gray sky without any light with confusion in his expression.

Jack had only met his father five days ago, when he arrived at the orphanage proclaiming himself to be an adventurer. He only went with him because of the painting his mother had left with him.

He will take you to sea for some reason that Jack doesn't know.

— Father, where are we going? — he asked hesitantly, fear almost making his words get stuck in his throat.

The man's face lit up in the shadows.

— I am taking you to a sacred place. The sacred abode where The Creator once lived. You will now learn His teachings instead of the lies that the believers of the Seven False Gods tell. The false Gods are powerful angels who have ascended, they cannot match the unmatched strength of The Lord.

Jack shivered. Trying to hide the fear in his voice, he said:

— But my mother said that The Creator split into all that existed and fell into a deep sleep. How could there be the sacred abode where The Creator lived?

The man fell to the ground, clutching his head tightly. He screamed uncontrollably as if he were almost losing all sanity and began to mutter to himself:

— They... They... They are lying! False Gods! The Creator will return to illuminate us with His eternal glory!

A silver bolt of lightning crashed over the sea with a thunderous crash.

Amidst his father's screams, Jack's eyes widened.

His heart sank in his chest.

Chapter 25 - Ancient History

The young woman didn't even try to give a forced smile. Her face was full of concern.

Anna looked very depressed. She sat down and began to explain:

— I would like to know about my fiancé's situation. He traveled to the Southern Continent in March for a business deal. He sent a telegram to me and his family twenty days ago on the third day saying that he would be returning. I thought that his delay might be due to the storms that have been occurring in the Berserk Sea, but the Alfalfa ship did not dock at Enmat Port.

— What type of divination would you like to use? — Klein knew that some people had more confidence in specific types of divination such as tarot.

Anna paused for a moment, seeming to think before making her decision.

— You are the expert in divination, so it wouldn't be fair for me to choose. But I have tried to study it sometimes, but I always thought that tarot cards seemed like a joke. — she confessed honestly.

— Then we will use astrolabe. — Klein took a quill and passed it to Anna — Write down your fiancé's characteristics, his date of birth, and it would be good if you could remember the time he was born.

He didn't believe Anna was illiterate because of her modest clothing.

She didn't hesitate to start writing everything down before handing the paper to Klein.

"Joyce Meyer, September 15, 1323, 2:00 p.m.…"

After a brief time calculating Anna's fiancé's Life Number, Klein asked her to step out for a moment so he could make the astrolabe.

Since she had a brief understanding of divination and knew it took a certain amount of time, Anna left without question.

Calmly calculating, Klein ended up with the result that Joyce would go through some kind of danger, but would end up surviving.

Even so, he wanted to be certain since this was his first job at the Divination Club, so he wrote on the paper:

"Joyce Meyer's current situation."

After repeating this seven times, his vision gradually became cloudy before sinking into the depths of that gaudy reality.

In a crimson-red sea, lightning tore through the black clouds and fell upon the choppy waters.

Klein saw a blond youth swimming amidst the waves that almost swallowed him, but he managed to reach the shore.

The scene changed quickly. Klein saw a blue house with a toy windmill at the door. That blond youth slowly entered the house, his face with a cheerful smile.

The scene fragmented, reassembling itself on the top of a mountain that had the skies covered in pure darkness.

Hands formed by shadows seemed to cover the starry skies along with a thick fog that almost had an ancient air.

Klein recognized this place immediately.

The peak of the Hornacis mountain range!

In the ruined palace covered in moss, in the holes in the walls, stood a throne adorned with precious stones.

The translucent worms contracted into a terrifying vortex of chaos that expanded and shrank, spreading across the entire opaque golden throne.

In those worms was a being with a familiar face. It was young and old at the same time, but that distorted and meaningless face sank into the worms again.

— Half-Fool... — A deep sigh echoed through the sky.

That dazzling fantasy shattered into a thousand pieces.

As Klein's vision returned, he leaned against the table in confusion.

In his mind, he could vaguely hear illusory murmurs saying things like Sun, Dusk, and other things.

Half-Fool… That was the peak of Hornacis… Whose voice was that? It sounded familiar... It could be from one of the delusions I heard... Well, the first two dreams were directed at Joyce and the last one at me... — Klein quickly composed himself in case someone came in. He rubbed his temples and began to think silently.

Is this notebook chasing me? It's not possible...

What do I have to do with Antigonus or this Half-Fool?

Could the existence pointed out in the luck ritual have something to do with that voice? — he tapped his fingers on the table before sighing.

He stood up and walked over to Anna who was ignoring the tea in front of her, her gaze focused on the window.

— Mr. Moretti, what was the result? — She asked, turning around hurriedly.

— Does your house, or Mr. Meyer's, have a toy windmill?

Suddenly, she froze.

— He gave it to me as a gift, it's in front of the door... How do you know that? I-can it be divined? — In her confusion, she narrowed her eyes.

Klein smiled gently.

— Congratulations, Miss Anna. Your fiancé is currently at your home. He has been through a very dangerous situation, and he needs all the support from those close to him.

With a shocked look, she began to speak deliriously:

— Really? Is it true? Did he really arrive safely?

Anna didn't wait a moment longer, she handed him a soli and hurried away in a carriage.

…

Above the gray mist, there were seven people on the tarnished bronze seats.

Looking at Justice discreetly, Klein noticed that his astral body had a calm aura. Behind his chair, a symbol of a dragon formed.

Audrey greeted everyone enthusiastically:

— Good morning, Mr. Fool~

— Good morning…

When she finished, she returned to her calm state as she assessed everyone around her, looking for any trace of emotion.

Uh… Mr. Hanged Man seems to be deep in thought… — She glanced at Medici.

Mr. Chariot... Eh... I can't read his emotions... Why? Does he have some skill that works against Spectators or is he just very good at hiding how he feels?

Miss Strength is as calm as ever, but she also seems thoughtful.

The Sun seems worried, but also extremely curious and even anxious... Mr. World... I can't read his emotions either... — Audrey didn't dare try for The Fool, so she just finished looking, getting curious about the other members' thoughts.

As soon as everyone greeted each other, The Fool was the first to speak with a smile:

— Did any of you manage to find Roselle's diary?

— I memorized a page. — Medici replied calmly. It wasn't hard to search through some old documents she had to find a lost page.

— I found a page. — Audrey said, remembering how lucky she was to find Glaint who insisted on sharing a page without anyone in that meeting having to pay.

— I got a page from the diary. — Solveig said calmly.

Actually, I was lucky. I'm glad the negotiation wasn't even absurd since that man had no idea what the papers he had were... — she added in her heart.

— I memorized some ancient stories. — Derrick didn't know who Emperor Roselle was so he could only hand over myths from the history of the ancient Kingdom of Silver.

— I found a page from Emperor Roselle's diary and memorized it. — Alger said calmly. The price was fair because of its historical value.

When the members had written everything down on paper with the help of the Fool, Klein began to read calmly.

"May 21st. And who would have thought that I could become a Beyonder! The choices were the Pathway of the Mystery Pryer or the Pathway of the Savant."

"May 22nd. When they questioned me, my answer was obvious, I chose to be a Savant. I would love to be a Mystery Pryer, but the Hidden Sage is the only obstacle to this path, being chased by knowledge is a very bad thing. I've seen a man go mad because of it. Besides, the Savant Pathway has all the Sequences."

"October 4th. They call me Son Of Steam, I like that."

"April 23rd, there was a party at the Count of Florais' mansion and also a fight with punches and kicks in the middle of the dance hall. Well, I was there minding my own business when Roman came to ask me if I had seen a man named Ivar. I told him the absolute truth! I told him he should go to the bushes in the garden where he was with his fiancée, Evy!"

"The man came out looking like a rabid beast before throwing himself into the bushes and the two started fighting, Roman even threw Ivar onto the dessert table! In the end, a general fight involving six nobles took place after Evy discovered that Roman was cheating on her with two noble girls and two young men from different families who were already promised! Evy even pulled out several tufts of Roman's hair. Nobles don't have an ounce of innocence! Even I was impressed by how the story unfolded!"

What kind of cheap plot is this? — Klein scoffed, controlling himself from frowning slightly.

"April 10. I will store all my treasures at the eastern end of the Sea of Mist and then announce their existence on my deathbed so that they may be sought after! When I said this to Edwards, he made a strange expression and simply covered his face with his hand, sighing. Grimm had a similar reaction."

"April 11th. When I was in the Sea of Mist with my Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, we ended up finding something very interesting. It was an island full of strange species and bizarre animals, in fact I prefer to call them extraordinary animals. I believe that if Darwin had transmigrated there, he would not have even thought of writing his Theory of Evolution."

"April 15th. Grimm suddenly became a little strange, mumbling nonsense all over the place. Has he been infected by something?"

After reading a few more pages, Klein learned a little more about the acting.

Furthermore, there were the pages that the young Sun had given him. They told stories about the ancient Kingdom of Silver when ancient beings lived in the world in the ancient Second Epoch. There were names like Aumir, The Giant King, and many others.

One of them caught Klein's attention the most.

Flegrea!

In truth, the pages didn't exactly point to Flegrea very often. In fact, the mention of this name was so rare that it only appeared once. There was nothing but a single brief mention of this being's name.

Flegrea…

That was what I heard in the murmurs when I transmigrated! Why did the murmurs from Hornacis Peak point to an existence before the Cataclysm?

Is Flegrea connected to the Half-Fool from the peak of the Hornacis mountain range? Who is the Half-Fool? Must he have some connection to the Antigonus family, the Goddess of Midnight, or the two deities that the Nation of Eternal Night believed in? That is, if the Mother Of The Sky is not another title of the Goddess... Then who would be the second deity?

The papers disappeared as if they had never existed and the Fool remained silent.

Audrey asked about what being a Spectator meant, so the Fool explained with an analogy.

— Mr. Fool, what payment will you want for this information? — Audrey smiled as she asked.

After that, He tapped His finger on the table.

— A page from Roselle's diary or...

— Information about the Secret Order, Antigonus or the Order of Mysteries.

Ah? — The young Sun saw all the members thoughtful, but he didn't understand anything of that conversation.

The Antigonus family? — Alger, Solveig and Medici had the same thoughts of confusion and doubt.

Why did He want to know about this information?

Alger straightened up in his bronze seat and spoke calmly:

— I think I can give you this information now. — The Antigonus Family was one of the main families of the Fourth Epoch, but its origin can be traced back to the Epoch of Cataclysm. They had incomprehensible and utterly bizarre powers...

— The cause of this family's downfall is due to the Church of Midnight and another secret organization. They took everything that was left of the peak of the Hornacis mountain range, where the Nation of Eternal Night was located. It seems that they worshiped the Mother of the Sky and some other deity whose title and history have been taken away by time.

The Hanged Man shared much information, such as the existence of a second Slate of Blasphemy.

— Which families are linked to the Secret Order and the Order of Mysteries? — Audrey asked with curiosity hidden behind her gaze.

— The Order of Mysteries is linked to the ancient family that stood on a pedestal in the Fourth Epoch, the Abrahams. The founder of the order came from this family and possibly the remaining members remain within the Order of Mysteries... It is suspected that there are other ancient families linked to the foundation. — Medici explained, seeming a little immersed in his thoughts.

— Abraham? — Derrick asked without understanding.

— Abraham refers to one of the most important families in... Do you know what an empire is...? — Medici looked at Derrick who quickly shook his head in denial.

Stunned, The Chariot continued unhurriedly:

— ... It's like a kingdom, only the territory is much larger. There are different cultures and worship of deities as well as different people. This is an empire.

— This family is so dangerous because of the abilities they possessed. Their abilities were indescribable. The Abrahams have traces even during the Cataclysm, just like the Order of Mysteries.

So it was the Abraham family... Who would have thought that Mr. Chariot would be suitable to be a teacher... — Klein thought in his mind.

The World looked calmly.

— An ancient existence from before the Cataclysm has a connection with the Antigonus family... Flegrea.

— Flegrea? — Derrick asked in disbelief. His eyes widened in shock at hearing that name from someone who didn't belong to the City of Silver.

— Sun, do you know that name? — Solveig didn't miss the opportunity to ask in confusion.

Does he know that name...? It makes sense that The Sun would understand, but The World... How does he know that? — Alger leaned back in his seat discreetly, listening to everything attentively.

— It's an ancient name from the stories of the heyday of the Kingdom of Silver… Flegrea… _ Derrick explained briefly, his face full of confusion.

— The Zaratul family… — Solveig muttered as if it were a curse or a puzzle.

— This family didn't have much influence, but they were known for being terrifying beings… There's not much information about them.

Medici seemed to think for a moment. His tone was deep:

— There was another deity mentioned in the ancient stories of the Midnight Nation. In fact, any information about Him was almost completely erased by the followers of the God of Storms and God of Knowledge and Wisdom… There are cults to Him to this day in some secret organizations. Unfortunately, His title was lost to history.

— They worshiped Him as much as the night. A deity who rose from the smoky chaos before the time of everything. He emerged from the void, at an unknown moment in the Ages.

Notes: